Cape Town - Jaco Kriel is finally ready to make his Gloucester debut, but his Springbok team-mate Franco Mostert has been ruled out of Friday's Aviva Premiership clash against Bristol.
Kriel has been battling a shoulder injury since joining Johan Ackermann's side in April this year.
Mostert, meanwhile, has been at the centre of a tug-of-war between Gloucester and the Lions, with the South African Super Rugby franchise not prepared to let the player go.
The Bok lock is expected, however, to officially be named a Gloucester player on Thursday, November 1.
However, he will not feature against Bristol while he has also been ruled out of the Boks' Test against England on Saturday due to the match not falling within the World Rugby international window.
"He’s not been in the building yet, I don’t think anyone has shook his hand so he won’t be playing for us," Richard Whiffin, Gloucester's head of academy, told the Gloucestershire Live website.
Speaking on Kriel, Whiffin said the club was delighted to finally have him available, but that he would have to be managed carefully.
"He’s someone we’ve got to be really careful with the length of injury he’s coming back from so his involvement going forward over the next few weeks will have to be heavily managed and controlled from decisions above me," Whiffin said.